Pols trade swipes, sing songs at St. Patrick's Day 'love-in' brunch

Posted
Sunday, March 20, 2016 3:10 pm

By Michael P. Norton

State House News Service

BOSTON &GT;&GT; Irish Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys won applause at Sunday morning's St. Patrick's Day breakfast when she said the Irish in Massachusetts have thrived in politics, business and culture, and called Boston "the Irish capital of America."

Noting she'd been told to expect a lot of ribbing, Humphreys picked up instead on the mostly friendly, bipartisan vibe in the South Boston breakfast hall — once a crucible where no politician left unscathed — calling the occasion a "love-in."

"I'm going to have to bring back some of this love to Ireland to help us form a new government," Humphreys said.

Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry of Dorchester hosted the event, a traditional annual gathering of top state and city elected officials who take turns trying to be funny, with hits and misses along the way.

"Céad míle fáilte. That's the native Irish expression of ten thousand welcomes," Forry said in her opening remarks. "But here in South Boston it just means get your car out of my spot."

While it's not the school of hard knocks it used to be, the breakfast at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center was hardly free of the ribbing that Humphreys anticipated and others look forward to.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren opened with a series of quick jabs.

"It seems that there are more people here this morning than all the people who voted for Jeb Bush," she said.

"You have as many college students as at a Clinton rally, the diversity of a Sanders rally and the combined blood-alcohol of a Trump rally," she continued. "People here have been drinking since the crack of dawn and yet you're still more coherent than Donald Trump."

Warren also suggested a link between Gov. Charlie Baker's recent Utah ski trip and his party affiliation. "Must remind him of his beloved Republican Party — downhill fast."

In one line, Forry swiped at both Warren and a South Boston congressman who lives near the hall.

"Fun fact. This is real," said Forry. "Senator Warren was a Republican before she was a Democrat — kind of like Stevie Lynch, but in reverse."

Focusing on Baker, South Boston Rep. Nick Collins joined Forry, and Reps. Dan Cullinane and Dan Hunt of Dorchester for their own clapping-assisted version of "Charlie on the MTA."

"Could he every fix it? Oh he hoped to fix it. Politics 101 is in play," they sang. "Just blame the Democrats and blame the unions. He's not owning the MBTA."

Forry teased Boston Mayor Martin Walsh about his relationship with Baker — "your BFF no doubt" — and surfaced Baker's recent secret trip to an island conference. Baker should take his high approval ratings on the road to Utah, hang out with Mitt Romney, and, Forry suggested, he "may want to check on his buddy Chris Christie."

Baker endorsed Christie just before the New Jersey governor dropped out of this year's race for president. Christie then announced he's backing frontrunner Donald Trump, whom Baker says he won't vote for.

Continuing a recent trend, pols leaned on pre-recorded videos for material. One featured House Speaker Robert DeLeo pretending to be high on marijuana in his State House office. In another, Sen. Michael Rush played Silentó on a boom box while his colleagues danced the nae nae in Senate President Stan Rosenberg's office.

Warren has made her former foe, Republican Scott Brown, a perennial laugh line in her stand-up, and kept it up on Sunday.

"Donald Trump is floating Scott Brown as a possible running mate. I want you to think about that. It would be the perfect reality show matchup — 'Celebrity Apprentice' meets 'The Biggest Loser,'" Warren said.

Warren and Baker both made light of Sen. Brian Joyce's problems, including reports that he's inappropriately received free dry cleaning for years. Trotted to the podium with a basket of laundry, Baker declared: "I'm sorry I'm late. I've been waiting for Senator Joyce. I had some laundry I needed done. And boy, I hear he gets a really good deal."

Baker said that since Joyce is not running to keep his seat, "we have the perfect solution for him — we think he should be the first curator of Snake Island right out there in the Quabbin Reservoir."

The governor noted his high approval ratings had not translated into success for his endorsed candidates, including Christie, and Scott Brown and Richard Tisei in 2012 and 2014.

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito picked up on Baker's out-of-state travels, joking that while Baker was away she had received a call from an "international figure" wondering how to achieve Baker-like approval ratings.

"So I said, 'Holy Father, the first thing you need to do is lose the hat. It's a little pretentious,'" Polito said.

Polito brought up Forry's trip to Colorado recently with other senators to learn about legalization of marijuana there.

"She really got into this experience," said Polito, suggesting the senator had included 3,241 bags of Doritos on her expense sheet.

Said Warren, "If you thought this event was wild before, wait until next year when Stan Rosenberg and Bob DeLeo share a bong. Try to get that one out of your head."

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